Ostrichflies
by Illa 321
Summary: My take on the Life of Frank and Alice Longbottom. Originally intended for the Glee Project Style Competition


**A/N I don't own Harry Potter. It all belongs to JK Rowling.**

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There was something going on out there . They all knew it, but most of them had turned to a "Carpe Diem" kind of philosophy and were, to his opinion, purposely drowning themselves in a blind bliss. He supposed living in some kind of cocoon made it easier for them to forget. Because _that_ was what Hogwarts was: the safest place in the wizarding world. And then, there were people like the Marauders, who had become, between pranks and laughter, the self appointed leaders of the movement. That's how life was for most of his classmates. Not for him, though. He was too painfully aware of the situation to ever completely take part on that.

Being the Members of an Ancient Noble House, both his parents held a significant amount of political presence (Augusta Longbottom was one of the few exceptions to the "all male" costumes in the wizarding world, having been introduced in the political world by her husband, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And honestly, one had to be daft not to recognize the power oozing from the woman!). As a natural consequence, they met a wide variety of personalities, and saw much of the world. After much of this, they had concluded that keeping someone in ignorance was the foulest offence. Therefore a "complete honesty" policy at Longbottom Manor was applied since Frank could remember. His parents had never sugarcoated anything too much, but they had been careful not to overwhelm him, and therefore told him the bits and pieces they considered appropriate for his age and allowing him to take a more active part on their discussions as time went by.

Used to hearing his parents conjectures, he grew to be very perceptive, and this was what kept him on alert during his Hogwarts years. It wasn't always like that, though. He was a teenager after all (and a Gryffindor, too, mind you) and as such, he had his moments of recklessness when he could briefly feel a part of the "cocoon club". But he was brutally awakened as his father was murdered by some "unidentified individuals" during his fourth year. He then vowed to protect his mother, and deliberately crushed all of the hopes of being part of the "cocoon club" in his resolve to become an auror and honor the name of his father as the sole Heir of the Noble House of Longbottom.

And then, he met Alice. Years later, she'd insist they had talked before. He'd tell her then that, yes, they had had conversations before, but that they were just passing. She'd then remind him that they had even met in Hogsmade (in Flourish and Blotts, remember? You were looking for some book on the goblin wars and you looked at me funny when I asked the shop owner if he had some book on Muggle Gardening! You even lent me a Galleon!). He'd say that those didn't count, because he was distracted, and she'd then pretend to be offended until he spoke of the one time that did count, and she'd smile and call him a sappy romantic.

There was a Match going on, but he had opted for the Greenhouses instead. He had gotten an E on Potions and had asked Professor Slughorn for extra credit – not that an E was half bad, but he'd figured an O would look better when applying for Auror training. The Proffessor had then suggested he'd go collect some ingredients for him. So he went, only to find the place seemingly empty. And then he heard someone talking.

"Done. Now you go in here darling. You'll grow to be a beautiful thing. You know, sometimes I feel like an ostrich in here. Digging holes to bury my head in and plant you little fellows…. But then I look at everyone else I'm not the only one doing so, I'm just the only one who_ knows_! Now, don't you think that's a bit ironic? They are all a bunch of ostriches!- or is it ostrichs? Ostr- Ostir-. Ugh. It sounds weird… never mind, you understand."

She had been crouching down and talking while she transplanted some sort of flowers from a pot to the soil. Frank mentally chided himself for not remembering the name of the plant and promised himself to study more Herbology. He was sure there was a test coming up soon.

"Ironic indeed!" He chuckled.

She jumped up from the ground with wide eyes. "Merlin's Beard! You scared me! " she then seemed to realized she'd been overheard "I- I was just- this isn't what it looks like! I was… damnit! Well done, Alice… now he's definetly going to think you're crazy." She muttered to herself. Frank noticed with amusement that she hadn't meant to say that last bit out loud. "It's not polite to spy on people!"

"I agree with you, you know… They're a bunch of ostriches. Living in a cocoon. What d'you reckon that'd make them eventually? Ostrichflies?" He had blurted that out without thinking. He just wanted to ease her discomfort. There were a few seconds of silence where he strongly considered to get the hell out, and then she laughed, and he did too.

"I like you." She said simply, after a while.

He had just smiled back then. But he'd later tell her that, then, with her hands full of dirt, her short disheveled hair and invaded by little leafs and a flower petal or two, and her cheeks flushed from laughter, she'd seemed bloody beautiful to him.

That may not have been the first time they met, but it was certainly the starting point of their friendship. They grew closer in time, and Frank realized during one of his insomniac philosophy sessions that he didn't need to be a part of the "Cocoon Club". He didn't need to become an ostrichfly, because he had had his moments of bliss without the blindness; and it didn't even surprise him that Alice had somehow managed to sneak in into all of them.

Neither was it a surprise for anyone when they announced their engagement a couple of years afterwards, and his wedding was for Frank one of the greatest "bliss without the blindness" moments of his life.

And then, the honeymoon. The one they couldn't have. There was no longer just **something** going on out there. That **something** had become a full blown war, and they found themselves in the middle of it.

How did they wish they could become ostrichflies back then! How tempting it was to just fly away to the corners of the world, to a lovely warm beach, with beer and dancing and laughter! And forts of pillows for cocoons, where he could keep her away, safe from all the disgusting things of the world!

But no. They would not go. Frank reminded himself of his vow and Alice said she was not the only one who needed protection (that's one of the things he loved about her. She wasn't ever ashamed to admit that she needed him, that she was afraid, even when she was certain she could handle things exceedingly well on her own) and that they couldn't just stop fighting for the things they believed in.

So they fought on, always keeping in mind the promise of a tropical paradise, and finding stray seconds to build on the dream and add details or things they wanted to do when they finally got there, in time replacing the beers with a tiny cup of warm milk and two big cans of soda.

Those were the sweet things they struggled to focus on, while trying to avoid thinking about little Nevvie, in fear of revealing something that would put him in danger. They thought about the bookstore, the Greenhouse, the Wedding, the Beach… delving in every single detail: the sweetness of the cake, the smell of wet dirt, the sound of laughter and the shine of a galleon slowly enveloped them protectively. And thus, without even realizing it, they became ostrichflies.


End file.
